Shipping box or case.



C. FASSNAGHT.

sHrPPmG Box on OASE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 31, 1909. i

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

lllls IAA y@ rr v 2 SI'IEETS-SHBBT l.

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C. FASSNACHT.

SHIPPING BOX 0R CASE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a1, 1909.

CHRISTOPHER FASSNACHT, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

SHIPPING BOX OR CASE.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, vCHRIs'roPiInR FASS- NAcii'r, a citizen of theUnited States, and a resident of South Bend, in the county of St. Josephand State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Shipping Boxes or Cases; and I do hereby de|-:t that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon,

which forni a part of this specification.

This invention relates' to improvements in shipping boxes, crates orcases, and refers both to means for 'strengthening the box or case andalso to an improved construction of a collapsible or knock-down box orcase, the members of which are adapted to be detachably locked togetherin such manner that they may be knocked down and folded flat` forre-shipment.

The invention relates further to other features of improvement in shiping cases or boxes, designed to improve and simplify the constructionthereof, and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forthand more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawinvsz-Fivure 1 is a perspective view of a lPknockown box orcase embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and .3 are cross-sections taken onlines 2-2 and 3 3, respectively, of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspectivefragmentary view of one corner ot the box or case, showing the means ofjoining the end walls to the side and bottom walls. Figs. '5 and (l aredetail sections, taken on lines 5 5 and 6-6, respectively, of Fig. 3.Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one corner of the bottoni' wall, showingadjacent arts of the end wall, separated a distance tierefrom. Fig. 8 isa perspective view of a box or casing showing means for further bracingthe same.

Fig. 9 is'a detail illustrating a modification of the end walls andthecleats. Fig. 10 is a further modification of the end walls and cleats.Fig. 11 is a detail illustrating a modification lof the mitered ends ofthe cleats.

The box comprises side walls 10, 10, end walls 1l, 11,`a bottom wall 12and a to wall 13. The. said walls may be made o thin boards, veneer orthe like, and ,the side bottom and top walls may be made of one or morelongitudinal pieces or strips. The walls Specification of LettersPatent.

Application led March 31, 1909.

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

Serial No. 486,969.

of the box or case herein shown are solid, but obviously may be made ofspaced slats of open construction in the manner of a typical crate. Theside, top and bottom walls are provided at their end margins with stripsor cleats 1G, the outer side faces of ywhich are flush with the marginsof said walls. The said cleats 16 are beveled or niitered at their endfaces 17, and they constitute, when fitted to ether, the end frame ofthe box or case. T e cleats may be provided on their inner edges withgrooves 18, to receive the side, top and bottom margins of the endwalls, thereby giving a anel effect to the end walls. The panel e ectmay be otherwise given to theends, as shown in Fig. 9, hereinafter to bedescribed. Applied to the inner sides of the end walls are filler boards20 which, as shown in Figs. 1

to 7, inclusive, form at their margins outwardly facing shoulders 22,which bear against theinner edges of the cleats, and which serve, t0strengthen the box or case at the eiidsthereof. The said filler boards2O when employed are made of a thickness equal to the thickness of theparts 23 of the cleats inside the grooves thereof, whereby when thewalls are assembled the inner faces of the boards 20 are flush with theinner side faces of the cleats, thus roducing smooth, continuous, innerwalls of projections at the corners thereof. Obviously, the ends,consisting of the boards 11 and 20 may be made of a sin rle board, cutat its margins to form the shou ders 20.

'T he sides of the box, that is to say .the side walls 10 aiid the topand bottom walls 13 and 12, respectively, are bound together and to theend walls by binding wires or strips which are detachably interlocked atthe corners of the box in such manner that the walls are securely tiedto ether, while permitting them to be remove or detached one from theother. In the construction shown round wire is used. In the presentconstruction each wall is provided with a plurality of bindingl wires25, or 26, three bein herein shown, oneflocated at each end and t 1ethird near its longitudinal center. The said binding wires are fastenedto the walls by staples 27 and may constitute means to join or connectthe two or more strips or slats of a wall when the wall is made of morethan one piece. The sta les 27, b which the binding wires are attac edto t e ends of the box the case without and twisting the terminals aboutthe' bodies .other at the .centers of the ends'.

of the wires.' The eyes 29 project be ond the walls or sides which carrythem, an the tongues 28 likewise project beyond the sides or walls whichbear them, so that when the walls are assembled the tongues are insertedthrough the eyes at the outer sides of the corners of the box and arebent backwardly upon themselves in the manner clearly shown in Figs. 1,2 and 3; The connection described constitutes a hinged connection,

whereby either wall or side may swing about its margins relatively to anadjoinin wall or side whenv theV box is being assemb ed or knocked down.Moreover, the top wall or side 13 constitutes a hinged cover when onemargin thereof is released, as shown in Fig..

3. By forming all the tongues on oneset of'wires, as the wires 25, andall of the eyes on the other set of wires, as the wires 26, it 'will -beobservedy that the turned over or folded terminals of the tongue w-illoccur on opposite sideslof the box or case, the lateral s1 es as'hereinshown, so that' the othersides thereof, the top and bottom sides, asherein' shown, 'are free from projections, such as' would interfere withthe box being shifted or slid on a Hoor on which it rests.

The end walls arefprovided with one or more brace members 30, -30 whichextend diagonall across the wallsfrom corner to corner. iilhen two areused they cross each They are fixed 'to said ends by staples 31 or othersuitable fastening devices. The said 'oblique cross braces serve tostrengthen the ,end

' walls against diagonally applied crushing pressure. Like brace membersor wires 33, 33

may be applied lto the sides 10, 12 and 13 of the box or case, as shownin Fig. 8. Said brace members are attached -to thev sides by staples 34and extend diagonally 'across the sides and cross at the centers of thesides. Said brace members 33 maybe provided 'at their ends withinwardlyA turned prongs 35 which may be driven into the sides.v In thevconstruction of `box lherein shown, said prongs are driver. through thesides `into the cleats at the end margins of the sides. The bracing thusapplied strengthens' or stifens the box in all directions andenables'the walls to be made comparatively light while possessingamplestrength.

The system of bracing may jbe applied to *'boxes, crates, or shippingcases of various kinds, and is especially valuable in knockdown box orcase structures which are designed to be re-shipped in knockdown form,inasmuch. as it enables the box Walls to be made light without impairingtheir ynecessary strength, and thus reduces shipping cost. Moreover, thesystem of bracing aids to prevent warping of the thin boards of veneer,o-r other l material of which knock-down boxes or cases are preferablymade. As a further and separate improvement, the said brace `members orWires may be arranged to constitute a connection between adjoining wallsand thereby aid tohold the 'walls together when assembled. Suchconnection between the brace wires or members and adjoining walls isherein shown as applied to the end wall braces. To this end the saidbrace wires 30 may exthereof, and may be provided with angular turnedportions or.hooks 36, 37 which are adapted to enter appropriatelylocated notches 38, 39 in the beveled or in-itered endv faces 17 of thecleats. The laterally turned the brace members `arel directed outwardlyand engage the lupwardly opening notches 38 at theup er lends of the endcleats of lthe lateral si e walls. The hooked or la`terally turnedVportions 37 at the lower ends of said brace members' are directedinwardly and downwardly' and engage the notches 39 at the ends of the`cleats of the bottom side wall. The said hooked ends of the braces aresuiiciently resilient to allow them tospring inwardly or outwardly forengagementwith or disengagement from the cleats, and the spring orresiliency of the braces serves to hold the hooked portions thereofsecurely engaged with the notched portionsof' the cleats when.` theparts are assembled.

The construction described affords, as will be clearly obvious from aninspection. of Fig. 3, means to;securely connect the bottom` and 4sidewalls .of the box with the end walls, and to prevent the lateral sidewalls of tliecleats of the'side1walls. This construction, it will beobserved, provides a walls of the box, to wit,'the end Walls, the bottomand lateral side walls, so that the box, with the top wall omitted, issuiiciently rigid to lhold the 'arts securely together while the box iseing filled, thus avoidingthe necessity of placing the box in a form tohold the walls in position during the filling operation. Theinterlocking connection of the braces of the end Walls of the box, 'whencombined with the 'shouldered engagement of said end walls with thecleats connection for holdingassembled the five l tend beyond the endwalls at the corners portions or hooks 36 at the upper' ends of j .fromswinging outwardly when the hooks" 36 'are engaged with the uppernotched ends or lateral side walls, produces a box or case of greatstrength to resist crushing pressure or tendency of the box walls tospread apart.

In assembling the box or case the bottom wall is first placed on asupport and the end walls are placed with'their lower tongued margins 21engaging the grooves of the bottom Wall cleats.v In forcln the end wallsinto the grooved bottom c eats the lower hooked ends of the brace wires30 spread apart and are automatically engaged with the notches 39 ofsaid bottom cleats. The side walls are then assembled on the bottom andend Walls, the tongues 28 of the bindin wires of said side walls beingpassed throng the eyes 29 of the bottom wall and bent backwardly uponthemselves to constitute a lockin engagement of the binding wires of thesi e and bottom walls. side walls are pressed toward the end walls toengage the grooved cleats thereof vwith the side margins of said endwalls. As the' upper sides of theside Walls move into place the hookedupper ends of the bracesvSO are automatically engaged with the notches38 t at the upper en of the side wall cleats. The box or'case is now inposition to be filled, and when filled the top Wallis applied byengaging the eyes of the binding wires at one side thereof with the uwardly extending tongues on one side wall) of the box, andthereafterbending the tongues back upon themselves. The top at this timeconstitutes aswinging lid or cover and is swung downwardly in the mannerof an ordinary lid to pass the eyes 29 vat the free margin thereof overthe ton es 28 of the adjacent l side wall, after whic said tongues arefolded backwardly upon Vthemselves to complete the locking of the wallsof the box together. When thebox is to be knocked down or disassembled,the bent over tongues are straightened so that they may be disengagedfrom the eyes to ermit-thewalls to be se arated. In detac ing the uppersides of tllie side walls from the end walls the brace wires 30 aresprung inwardly or toward each other at their upper ends to release thehooks 36 from the notches 38. The lower ends of the brace wires arespread apart to release the hooks 37 from the notches 39. I may provideboth ends of the side wall cleats with the notches 38 in order that theside walls may be reversed, edge for edge, while providing for proper'locking connection between the up er ends of the brace wires and theside wall) cleats. The arrangement of each binding wire or strip 25 or26, with an eye formedou each end, or a tongue on each end, permits theparts to be thus reversed and to properly interlock when assembled.

As shown in Fig. 9, the end wall 40l is a single thickness wall or paneland is beveled at its n'iargins to tit beveled grooves 41 of Thereafterthe the cleats 42. In this construction the inner face of the singlethickness thin end or panelis flush with the inner sides of the cleats42 to provide smooth or non-projecting walls at the corners of the box.The brace wires 30 lof said end walls or panels ,engage at their endsnotches 43 formed in the end faces of the cleats somewhat closer to theinner sides of the cleats than in the construction previously described.In the construction illustrated in Fig. 10, the cleats 45 are madewithout grooves and the end walls or panels 46 are located whollyinside, and overlap at their margins the inner. faces, of said cleats.Said ends or panels 46 are made of such dimensions as to closely fit attheir margins the inner faces at the bottom, top and lateral sides ofthe box or case. In this construction the brace rods 30 will be sprungoutwardly from the ends 46 fori engagement with the notches 47 in theends of the cleats, which notches are located closely adjacent to theinner sides of said cleats. The lateral sides of the box or case will beheld-to the ends in the same manner as before, and resilienc of the endsof the braces 30 act to hold t e ends up against the cleats. If thecontents of the box or case are such as to exactly fill the same thisconstruction will be found to be amply strong.'

I n some .instances 1 may find it desirable AAs shown in said Fig. 11,one of the cleats 49 is formed at its mitered end with a projectinsquared or. other suitably shaped shoul er 50 which engages al likeshaped notch 51 formed in the mitered end of the adjacent cleat. The endjoints of the'cleats maybe otherwise formed to strengthen theconnections between the same.

It is to'be understood that the construction ma .be otherwise variedAand modified within t e scope and s irit of my invention,

and I do not limit the lnvention to the structural details shown exceptas hereinafter made the subject of specific claims.

Reference iliadey in'the appended claims to box sides are' intended todesi ate the bottom and top sides as well as tie lateral sides, exceptwhere the sides or side walls are more specifically designated.

I claim as m invention 1. A knockown box or crate comprising separableside and end walls, the side walls belng provided withinwardly facingshoulders which abut against outwardly facing mar in al shoulders of theend walls, stiftening races extending across said end walls and havinginterlocking connection at their ends with the side walls, and bindingmeans extend-in around the side walls for releasably hol ing the wallstogether.

lto shoulder the mitered ends of the cleats, ,as shown in Fig. 11, andthus strengthen 'said cleats agamst relative displacement.

2. A knock-down box or crate ycomprising side and end Walls, eachseparable from. the other, and stiifening braces extending across saidend Walls and having interlockin connection at their ends with the sideWals. i

3. A knock-down box4 or crate comprising end, side and bottom Walls,each separable from the other, and means to detachably fasten the sideWalls to the end Walls and to fasten each side Wall to both sides of thebottom Wall.

4. In a knock-down box or crate, end, side and bottom Walls, and meansfor detachably fastening the side and bottom Walls to the end Walls andthe upper edges of the side Walls to the diagonally opposite edges ofthe bottom Wall.

5. A knock-down box or crate comprising side and end Walls, eachseparable from the other, and means carried by the end Walls toreleasably fasten the side Walls to the end Walls, embracing stifi'eningbraces attached to the end Walls, and to brace said end Walls.

6. A knock-down box or crate comprising end, top and bottom end lateralside Walls, and bracings for the end Walls which serve as means forconnecting the same with the l lateral side 'and bottom Walls.

7. A knock-down box or crate comprising side and end Walls, eachseparable from the other, and stiffening braces for the end wallsadapted for detachable engagement with the side Walls to releasablyinterlock the side walls to the end Walls.

8. A knock-down box or crate comprising separable side and end Walls,the side Walls bemg provided at their ends with cleats and the end Wallshaving overlapping and shouldered engagement with said cleats andarranged to provide at the end corners smooth or non-projecting Wallsurfaces, and stiffening braces for the end-Walls arranged for-releasable interlocking engagement with the side Walls.

9. A knock-down box or crate comprising side and end Walls, eachseparable from the other, and stifening braces extending diagonallyacross said end Walls and crossing at the centers of the endwalls, saidbraces being arranged at their ends for releasable interlockingengagement With the side Walls.

10. A knock-down box or crate having separable side and end Walls, theside Walls being provided at their ends with cleats engaged by themargins of the end Walls, and stitfening braces extending diagonallyacross the. end walls and meeting at the centers of said Walls, the endsof said braces being arranged to engage the cleats at the ends of thelatter to lock the side walls to the end Walls.

11. A knock-down box or crate having separable side and endiwalls, theside Walls being provided at their end mar ins with cleats which arefitted together at t eir ends,

.and the end Walls having engagement With saidcleats, and stieningbraces extending diagonally across the end Walls and meeting at thecenters thereof, the said cleats being provided at their ends Withnotches and the ends of the braces being adapted 'for engagement withthe notches of the cleat ends.

12. A knock-down box or case comprising end and lateral, bottom and topsides, each separable from the other, and combined bracing and fasteningmeans for releasably connecting the ends With the bottom and lateralsides to form a rigid open box or crate Without the top side said meanscomprising stiftening braces extending across said' ends and havinginterlocking connection at their ends With the side Walls. y

13. A knock-down box or crate comprising end and lateral, bottom and topsides, each having interlocking connection at their ends I,

with the side Walls, and binding means exteiding'transversely around theassembled s1 es.

14. A knock-down box or crate comprising endsv and lateral and bottomand top sides separable each from the other, means for rcleasablyconnecting the ends With the bottom and lateral sides to form a rigidopen box or case Without the to`p side, binding devices extending acrosseach side, and means for releasably interlocking the ends of the bindingdevices at the corners of the box sides.

15. A knock-down box or crate comprising end and side Walls, bindingdevices carried by the side wall for releasably fastening the side Wallstogether, said side Walls being provided at their ends with groovedcleats and the end Walls fitting at their margins in the grooves of saidcleats and provided with exterior diagonal braces which cross atthe ycenters of the end Walls and are interlocked at their ends with saidcleats. y,

16. A knock-down box or crate comprising separable end and side Walls,the side walls.l being provided with binding Wires, whichextendtransversely across the same and beyond the side margins of thesideWalls and are provided at their ends with interlocking means, thelateral side walls being reversible and the top and bottom side Wallsbeing likewise reversible.

17. A knock-down box or cratecomprising end and side Walls, the sideWalls being `provided with binding Wires extending transversely acrossthe same and beyond theirside margins, the. bindingl wires of one wallbein provided at each of their ends wlth eyes an the binding wires of anadjoining Wall being provided at each of their ends with tongues adaptedto pass through said e es and to be bent backwardly upon themse ves tointerlock the binding Wires of adjoining Walls.

18. A box or crate comprising end and side Walls and stiffening bracesextending diagonally across said Walls and. crossing at the centers ofthe walls and connected at their ends to said Walls atthe corners of thebox or crate.

19. A knock-down box or crate comprising separable end and side walls,and sti'ening braces extending diagonally across said Walls and crossingat the centers of the walls and fixed at their ends to saidwalls at thecorlners of the box or crate, the end wall braces being releasablyconnected with` the side i Walls.

20. A knock-down box or crate comprising separable end and side walls,stiening braces extending `diagonally across said walls and crossing atthe centers of the Walls and ixed at their ends to said Walls at thecorners of the box or crate, the end Wall braces being releasablconnected with the side walls, and binding devices extendingtransversely around the sidewalls and releasably interlocked at theirends.

21. VA knock-down box or crate comprising separable end and side walls,and stitl'ening i braces extending diagonally across said walls andcrossing at the centers of the walls and fixed at their ends to saidwalls at the corners of the box or crate, and binding wires extendingaround the side walls of the box or case parallel with the end edgesthereof.

2Q. The combination with a box or crate, of bracing means for the wallthereof comprising brace rods or Wires extending diagonally across thewall and crossing at the center thereof and attached along their lengthto the Wall. 23. The combination with a box or crate, of'bracing meansfor the Wall thereof oomprising brace rods or wires extending diagonallyacross the wall and crossing at the center thereof, said wires or rodsbeing provided at their ends with prongs which are driven into the Wall,and means for attaching the brace rods or Wires along their length tothe box wall. In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention Iaffix my signature' in the resence of two witnesses, this 19t-h day ofarch A. D. 1909.

CHRISTOPHER FASSNACHT. Witnesses:

R. G. INwoon, JAMES W. TAYLOR.

